With Gritted Teeth, Congrats Caps

The Capitals deserved to win this year.

It was bound to happen. The Washington Capitals are finally Stanley Cup Champions after 43 years in the league. Alex Ovechkin is now a champ 13 years after entering the league.

Part of saying that makes my stomach queasy but another part of me has to admire and respect what the Caps did in the playoffs.

I congratulated a friend who lives in D.C. Friday and told him while I didn’t like the Caps winning, I was happy he was able to finally celebrate a Stanley Cup Championship. He responded saying he knows the awful feeling you get when you see your rival lifting the Stanley Cup all too well and that this feeling is a lot better.

The Caps started the playoffs down 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets then won the next 4 straight. They played a tough series against the Penguins, beat the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning and ended Marc-Andre Fleury’s run for a third straight Cup and the Vegas Golden Knights’ magical run.

Maybe the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup the past two seasons made this easier, but you have to give credit to Ovi and the rest of the Caps.

T.J. Oshie played amazing hockey in the playoffs and how could you not shed a tear when he was on the ice and honored his dad who is battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Goaltender Braden Holtby who normally falls apart against the Penguins made great saves to keep the Capitals in it and who forget Tom Wilson, he may be a Stanley Cup Championship but his play still has no place in the NHL.

The Caps got better as the playoffs went on and Vegas seemed to run out of steam in the end.

So congratulations Capitals fans and enjoy it because it doesn’t last as long as you think. And another tip, don’t try to rub it in a Penguins fan’s face. Washington may have been better this season but the Penguins will be back (and have four more Cups).

While this is hard for Penguins fans to swallow now, from the comments I have seen so far there seems to be more respect and admiration for Ovechkin and distain and disappointment. No matter your feelings, Ovi has matured into a great all-around player.

This will also take the Penguins/Capitals rivalry to another level. The team that has won the playoff series between the two the last three seasons has gone on to win the Stanley Cup. Can you imagine if they meet again next year, the buildup alone will be worth it!